“Paragliders are not flat, and have a significant arc, which leads to two values: flat aspect ratio, when the wing is laid on the ground, and projected aspect ratio, when it is flying.
“How do you measure A/R in practise? You can’t use the numbers published by manufacturers as they quote numbers that come from design software.
“It is a mistake to compare aspect ratio numbers from different brands and expect them to be consistent…”
With competition organisers introducing rulings designed to split classes by aspect ratio, Bruce Goldsmith explains why it is hard to accurately measure aspect ratio.
